Neighbors say parents of infant found dead in car in Lowell were not neglectful

LOWELL—Neighbors of a 9-month-old boy who died yesterday afternoon after being left in a parked car on Huntington Street today described the child’s parents as caring people who did not neglect their their children.

“They were both good parents, and their life revolved around their kids,” said Charlotte Shuebruk, 65. “It’s a sad situation that’s never going to leave them.”

David Cruz, 33, another neighbor, said he and his wife saw the ambulance arrive in front of the house at about 4 p.m yesterday.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

He said a woman shouted “My baby’s upstairs!” to emergency responders and that the child’s father paced back and forth in front of the house with his hand on his head in anguish.

“You think, ‘How do you forget a baby?’” Cruz said. “But they seemed like nice people who loved their children. They weren’t the type of people to neglect their kids or anything like that.”

Lowell police found the baby unresponsive yesterday when they arrived at the car on Huntington Street, authorities said. He was transported to an area hospital and pronounced dead.

No charges have been filed in connection with the child’s death.

“The investigation remains ongoing, however it appears the baby was left in the vehicle accidentally,” said Jessica Venezia Pastore, a spokeswoman for the Middlesex district attorney’s office, in an email this afternoon. “The death, like all child fatalities, will be reviewed by the statewide child fatality review team.”

Authorities have not identified the child’s parents, and a woman who answered the door at the family’s light blue house—where people had left flowers, food and cards—declined to comment today.

“We just want privacy,” she said.

Cayenne Isaksen, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Children and Families, said today that the agency is investigating, but she had no additional information.

Martine Powers can be reached at mpowers@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @martinepowers. Travis Andersen can be reached at tandersen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.